Colorectal cancer(CRC) is a common malignant tumor worldwide. Due to the treatment intolerance and side effects, CRC rank the top among various cancers regarding the incidence and mortality rates. Therefore, exploring new therapies is of great significance for the treatment of CRC. Aerobic glycolysis(AEG) plays an important role in the microenvironment formation, proliferation, metastasis, and recurrence of CRC and other tumor cells. It has been confirmed that intervening in the AEG pathway can effectively curb CRC. The active ingredients and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can effectively inhibit the proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance and regulate the apoptosis of tumor cells by modulating AEG-associated transport proteins [eg, glucose transporters(GLUT)], key enzymes [hexokinase(HK) and phosphofructokinase(PFK)], key genes [hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1) and oncogene(c-Myc)], and signaling pathways(MET/PI3K/Akt/mTOR). Accordingly, they can treat CRC, reduce the recurrence, and improve the prognosis of CRC. Although AEG plays a key role in the development and progression of CRC, the specific mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this article delves into the intrinsic connection of the targets and mechanisms of the AEG pathway with CRC from the perspective of tumor cell glycolysis and explores how active ingredients(oxymatrine, kaempferol, and dioscin) and compound prescriptions(Quxie Capsules, Jiedu Sangen Decoction, and Xianlian Jiedu Prescription) of TCM treat CRC by intervening in the AEG pathway. Additionally, this article explores the shortcomings in the current research, aiming to provide reliable targets and a theoretical basis for treating CRC with TCM.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

BACKGROUND: Blood glucose and serum albumin have been associated with cardiovascular disease prognosis, but the impact of admission-blood-glucose-to-albumin ratio (AAR) on adverse outcomes in critical ill coronary artery disease (CAD) patients was not investigated. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CAD were non-consecutively selected from the MIMIC-IV database and categorized into quartiles based on their AAR. The primary outcome was 1-year mortality, and secondary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), and renal replacement therapy (RRT). A restricted cubic splines model and Cox proportional hazard models assessed the association between AAR and adverse outcomes in CAD patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis determined differences in endpoints across subgroups. RESULTS: A total of 8360 patients were included. There were 726 patients (8.7%) died in the hospital and 1944 patients (23%) died at 1 year. The incidence of AKI and RRT was 63% and 4.3%, respectively. High AAR was markedly associated with in-hospital mortality (HR = 1.587, P = 0.003), 1-year mortality (HR = 1.502, P < 0.001), AKI incidence (HR = 1.579, P < 0.001), and RRT (HR = 1.640, P < 0.016) in CAD patients in the completely adjusted Cox proportional hazard model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis noted substantial differences in all endpoints based on AAR quartiles. Stratified analysis and interaction test demonstrated stable correlations between AAR and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight that AAR may be a potential indicator for assessing in-hospital mortality, 1-year mortality, and adverse renal prognosis in critical CAD patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking exacerbates the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in chronic lung diseases has gained attention; however, it remains unclear whether smoking-exacerbated lung damage in TB is associated with TLS. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of pulmonary TLS in smokers with TB and to explore the possible role of TLS in smoking-related lung injury in TB. METHODS: Lung tissues from 36 male patients (18 smokers and 18 non-smokers) who underwent surgical resection for pulmonary TB were included in this study. Pathological and immunohistological analyses were conducted to evaluate the quantity of TLS, and chest computed tomography (CT) was used to assess the severity of lung lesions. The correlation between the TLS quantity and TB lesion severity scores was analyzed. The immune cells and chemokines involved in TLS formation were also evaluated and compared between smokers and non-smokers. RESULTS: Smoker patients with TB had significantly higher TLS than non-smokers ( P < 0.001). The TLS quantity in both the lung parenchyma and peribronchial regions correlated with TB lesion severity on chest CT (parenchyma: r = 0.5767; peribronchial: r = 0.7373; both P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased B cells, T cells, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) expression in smoker patients with TB ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Smoker TB patients exhibited increased pulmonary TLS, which was associated with exacerbated lung lesions on chest CT, suggesting that cigarette smoking may exacerbate lung damage by promoting TLS formation.
Humans ; Male ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/immunology* ; Middle Aged ; Tertiary Lymphoid Structures/pathology* ; Adult ; Lung/pathology* ; Smoking/adverse effects* ; Smokers ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

This study explored a novel digital design and fabrication method for a double constrained split orthodontic miniscrew guide to improve the accuracy and safety of clinical miniscrew implantation and reduce related complications. A patient requiring miniscrew implantation was selected, and data were acquired using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral optical scanning. For the construction of a double constrained split guide including a screw-hole guide and an insertion rod guide, different types of software such as Mimics 24.0, Geomagic wrap 2021, and Materialise magics 21.0 were utilized for 3D reconstruction, model integration, and guide design. The guide was then fabricated via laser metal 3D printing. Model and intraoral try-in results demonstrated that the guide fitted well and was stable. Postoperative CBCT verified that the final miniscrew implantation site was consistent with the preoperative design, and no related complications occurred. This double constrained split orthodontic miniscrew guide provides a precise and safe digital solution for clinical miniscrew implantation.
Humans ; Bone Screws ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures/instrumentation* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Computer-Aided Design

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics of 2 cases of styloid-carotid syndrome(SCS)and review the literature to enhance understanding of the disease.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations,auxiliary examinations,and diagnosis and treatment of 2 patients with SCS admitted to the Neurology Department of Kaifeng Central Hospital.Additionally,relevant literature was searched through domestic and foreign databases such as PubMed,WOS,Embase,CNKI and VIP.The clinical characteristics of SCS were summarized based on the literature results.Results The 2 cases were diagnosed as transient cerebral ischemia(TIA)combined with SCS through head and neck CT angiography(CTA)and styloid process CT.Apart from the 2 cases treated in our hospital,a total of 11 cases of SCS have been reported in Chinese and English literature up to October 2023.Among the 13 cases,11 cases(84.6%)started with episodic TIA symptoms,and 11 cases(84.6%)had obvious inducing factors related to specific head position changes.Common clinical manifestations included unilateral limb weakness with or without sensory disturbance(10 cases,76.9%),slurred speech(7 cases,53.8%),unilateral limb sensation disorder(4 cases,30.7%),syncope(3 cases,23.1%)and amaurosis(2 cases,15.4%).All 13 cases underwent 64-row head and neck CTA examination,and 6 cases(46.2%)dynamically observed the changes in blood flow velocity through examinations such as transcranial Doppler ultrasound(TCD),cervical vascular ultrasound,and digital subtraction angiography(DSA).All patients were followed up for more than 3 months;and 10 cases(76.9%)achieved clinical cure after treatment,of which 8 cases underwent styloid process shortening surgery;3 cases(23.1%)achieved clinical symptom improvement after treatment.Conclusions For patients with recurrent TIA and/or cerebral infarction,it is necessary to identify whether there are inducing factors related to specific body position changes.For patients highly suspected of SCS,routine examinations such as styloid process CT and 64-row head and neck CTA should be performed,and if necessary,whole brain DSA,dynamic TCD and/or carotid ultrasound should be conducted to guide the diagnosis and treatment.When non-surgical treatment is ineffective,radical styloid process truncation can be considered as a treatment option.

Objective:To explore the medication law of TCM compounds used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:Clinical literature about TCM compounds in the treatment of NSCLC was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed and Web of Science core collection database from January 1st, 2003 to May 1st, 2023. The Python and the ancient and modern medical record cloud platform V2.3.7 were used to analyses frequency statistics and properties, and clustering analysis, factor analysis and association rule analysis were performed.Results:A total of 866 articles were included, with 660 effective TCM compounds, 647 kinds of Chinese materia medica. There were 36 kinds of high-frequency Chinese materia medica, such as Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Poria; the efficacy categories of Chinese materia medica mainly included tonics and phlegm resolving cough relieving and asthma relieving drugs. Cluster analysis obtained 4 clusters, factor analysis extracted 11 common factors, and association rule analysis obtained 37 highly supported combinations of Chinese materia medica. The most reliable triple drug combination among them was Astragali Radix-Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma-Hedyotis diffusa willd, and the double drug combination was Astragali Radix-Ligustri Lucidi Fructus.Conclusion:TCM for the treatment of NSCLC mainly focuses on strengthening the healthy qi, clearing heat, resolving phlegm and detoxifying toxins, supplemented by tonifying qi and activating blood circulation, dispelling dampness and resolving phlegm.

Eye diagnosis is a method for inspecting systemic diseases and syndromes by observing the eyes.With the development of intelligent diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),artificial intelligence(AI)can improve the accuracy and efficiency of eye diagnosis.However,the research on intelligent eye diagnosis still faces many challenges,including the lack of standardized and precisely labeled data,multi-modal information analysis,and artificial in-telligence models for syndrome differentiation.The widespread application of AI models in medicine provides new insights and opportunities for the research of eye diagnosis intelli-gence.This study elaborates on the three key technologies of AI models in the intelligent ap-plication of TCM eye diagnosis,and explores the implications for the research of eye diagno-sis intelligence.First,a database concerning eye diagnosis was established based on self-su-pervised learning so as to solve the issues related to the lack of standardized and precisely la-beled data.Next,the cross-modal understanding and generation of deep neural network models to address the problem of lacking multi-modal information analysis.Last,the build-ing of data-driven models for eye diagnosis to tackle the issue of the absence of syndrome dif-ferentiation models.In summary,research on intelligent eye diagnosis has great potential to be applied the surge of AI model applications.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS) at Neiguan (PC 6) on general anesthesia under preserving spontaneous breathing in thoracoscopic lobectomy. METHODS: A total of 66 patients of primary lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy were divided to an observation group (33 cases, 1 case discontinued) and a control group (33 cases). In the observation group, TEAS at Neiguan (PC 6) was used 30 min before anesthesia induction till the end of surgery. The surgery time, maximum value of partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (P_ETCO₂) and minimum value of oxygen saturation (SpO₂) of the two groups were recorded. The dosage of propofol, sufentanil, remifentanil and dexmedetomidine were analyzed. Separately, before induction (T₀), at the start of surgery (T₁), thoracic exploration (T₂) and lobectomy (T₃), as well as 30 min (T₄) and 60 min (T₅) after lobectomy, the mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), serum cortisol (Cor) and norepinephrine (NE) were measured. The time of post anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, ambulation, flatus, chest drainage and the incidence of nausea and vomiting were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The maximum value of P_ETCO₂, the dosage of propofol and remifentanil in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), the minimum value of SpO₂ in the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). At T₁-T₅, the MAP, HR, serum Cor and NE levels in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The ambulation time, the time for the flatus, chest drainage time, and the incidence of nausea and vomiting in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.001, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION For the general anesthesia under preserving spontaneous breathing in thoracoscopic surgery, TEAS at Neiguan (PC 6) relieves stress response, reduces opioids dosage and promotes postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Carbon Dioxide ; Flatulence ; Propofol ; Remifentanil ; Anesthesia, General ; Nausea ; Norepinephrine ; Electric Stimulation

COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread around the world till these days, and it is urgent to develop more safe and effective new drugs. Due to the limited P3 biosafety laboratories for directly screening inhibitors of virulent viruses with high infectivity, it is necessary to develop rapid and efficient screening methods for viral proteases and other related targets. The main protease (M^pro), which plays a key role in the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2, is highly conserved and has no homologous proteases in humans, making it an ideal target for drug development. From two different levels, namely, molecular level and cellular level, this paper summarizes the reported screening methods of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors through a variety of representative examples, expecting to provide references for further development of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors.